The Art of War, the masterwork written by Sun Tzu (BC 544 – BC 496) in the mid-fifth century BC, has stood the test of time as a collection of strategies that when applied to various situations have proven to be successful over and over. Military and business leaders alike have used the wisdom in The Art of War to inspire and achieve personal and group goals. Personally, I have often used parts of Sun Tzu’s master work in my seminars covering both martial arts and turfgrass topics with equal reflection for over 30 years. The purpose of this article is to examine seven quotes from Sun Tzu that have direct correlation to the art of growing grass (or growing the people who grow the grass), especially high-quality golf turf. I began balancing my martial arts career with my turf career in the early 1980s when I was teaching martial arts classes at night for Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and attending turf classes under ABAC’s Dr. Eddie Seagle by day. Thirty-five years later I am still earning a living through the martial arts and the cultivation of high-quality turf grass. I hope these insights will help you improve your level of artistry and success within all of your endeavors.

Training is critical to success

“Victory usually goes to the army who has the better trained officers and men.” — Sun Tzu

What does this really mean for the modern superintendent? It means that success in the management of high-quality turfgrass is often dependent on the proper training of your senior staff such as assistant superintendents and supervisors as well as the foot soldiers of our industry, the entry-level greenkeepers. Sun Tzu is quietly reminding us that we cannot do everything ourselves that we will ultimately depend on our army (staff) to direct tactics and programs and actually accomplish the physical tasks required in a proper way to ensure success. For example, in the properly trained world, there should never be a scalped collar or a diesel mower filled with gasoline. This is perhaps the most direct of the quotes that we will examine today, but I believe that it is by design. This is the cornerstone that most of the other precepts are built. You must develop quality training and evaluation programs for each level of your staff in order to be successful in the golf industry. Think about some of the legendary turf managers of our time. They are all famous for training and producing high-quality personnel on an ongoing basis. Start with training the basics at the entry-level and then move onward through your tasks and tactics (agronomic plans) providing practice and noting performance. Remember that in this area practice does not make perfect but perfect practice leads to a deep level of mastery that, in time, leads to sustainable success. Knowing how is the beginning. Knowing why is the secret of success.

Many voices, one song

“He will win whose army is animated (driven) by the same spirit throughout its ranks.” — Sun Tzu

It is an easy thing to say that we are single minded as to our purpose, but it’s hard to live that truth on a daily basis. Scores of mission statements and vision statements whirl through the halls of business. But how many stick? How many golf operations understand from top to bottom why we are all here and what we need to accomplish through thousands of separate activities that will achieve the ultimate goal of a truly sustainable and profitable business? Sun Tzu is pointing toward a transparency and a clarity that is deep and yet simple in a connected family/work environment. I once visited a plant where they produced chewing gum. The combined vision and mission statement was, “We Make Great Gum,” and every employee knew how their job impacted the gum being great, right down to the sales team who found it easier to sell great gum over average gum. They owned the message because they lived it unforced and naturally every day. They were a family, an economic army working for a shared goal and fueled by the energy of even the newest member. We must make this a reality within the turf management operation as well. Great training fails when the staff is not motivated, so creating a shared sense why we need to be successful and what every one’s role is will create a synergy that is obvious to all who see it or hear of it.

Pick your battles

“He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious.” — Sun Tzu

When it comes to superintendents and egos, everyone knows that you need a healthy dose of confidence with an equal dose of gratitude to do this job well. However, Sun Tzu reminds us it is wise to pick your battles and be prepared to engage or not engage at all. In fact, he also recommends that if you cannot win, then do not engage but rather gain better understanding and continue to train for other objectives. Have you ever heard of a superintendent in the middle of a situation such as overseeding (to do it or not), converting greens to a new type of turf or some other controversial property issue that was about to choose to fight or not to fight? Sun Tzu is simply reminding us that every dog has his day and the best way to win is to be sure that it is a fight worth engaging and you have all of the intellectual and physical resources to guarantee success. Beware the temptation to overestimate your worth because you have been very successful. My mentor Palmer Maples Jr. once told me that you can get so gifted at solving problems that you eventually become the biggest problem because you fail to see priorities through the eyes of others. There are many facets to the processes and battles presented daily in the management of high-quality turfgrass, so be sure to pick your battles wisely and success and long tenure will be your reward.

A sense of timing is critical in life, career and business

“Quickness is the essence of war.” — Sun Tzu

Have you ever had regrets about the road not taken? Perhaps it was a job or relationship that seemed like it would be around forever, but suddenly the door closed and the opportunity was lost. Here Sun Tzu is giving us all the ultimate reminder that life, business and war move really fast, and you have to make decisions quickly to take advantage of opportunities and procrastination leads to ruin or at the very least deep regret. I write this article from Dallas, Texas, about 800 miles from my hometown of Indian Creek, Ga. I am only a few months removed from using this advice in my own career. I was offered my dream job as director of golf operations for TPC Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Dallas at Las Colinas. It was an amazing opportunity, but I had to act. I packed what I would need through the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic, and I accepted the job, moved to Texas and lived a very different lifestyle while we secured the family and other details later. The experience has been the highlight of my career. Never wait too long to make things happen. Great opportunities by their very nature are rare so being aware of your goals and plans and up to date on your capabilities are all things that can help you know when to take that leap of faith for a chance to live your dreams. The technology of today with smart phones, apps and real-time reporting have made the windows (pardon the pun) of opportunity even smaller. See your vision clearly, plan your steps, define the actions required and act without hesitation nor regret. One of my favorite Sun Tzu quotes is the perfect way to close out this section: “Let your plans be as impenetrable as the night and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”

“Never wait too long to make things happen. Great opportunities by their very nature are rare so being aware of your goals and plans and up to date on your capabilities are all things that can help you know when to take that leap of faith for a chance to live your dreams.”

Synergy defined is 1+1 = 3

“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” — Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu is pointing out a long-known axiom that some people are seemingly blessed with success or born under a lucky star may not be true. The truth is simpler and deeper. Sun Tzu is speaking to the synergy created when strong positive habits are formed and practiced over and over. The idea is touched on by hundreds of positive thinking gurus and programs. For our purpose, it should be clear that the more you work toward the items you identify as critical and make the reality of your circumstances bend to your will, the better you will get at it. Getting amazing results and identifying more opportunities or even bigger accomplishments is largely the result of personal action that is divinely guided. You will begin to see opportunities that others bypass unknowingly. This synergy has been documented over and over. Most people get lost between strategy and tactics, and never seem to take the right action at the right time or some simply get tired of the fight and give up. You see we cannot change what we are willing to tolerate. So, by the very laws of nature, you must turn the art of seizing opportunities into a daily habit not a rare life event. If you do make the commitment, I promise the opportunities multiply just as Sun Tzu said. My office is covered with the irrefutable evidence that this is a timeless truth.

Always strive to be the wise general

“The reason that the wise general conquers the enemy whenever they move and that their achievements surpass ordinary men is foreknowledge.” — Sun Tzu

Now you may be wondering what is foreknowledge and why is it so important. First, let’s define foreknowledge as the combined accumulative knowledge from the beginning of a thing up to the present moment in time and its integration with other items of note that lead to unerring intuition. That can be a lot of information. The point is to be complete in your assessment of things so that mistakes or miscalculations are not possible. A basic example of foreknowledge would be a trusted recipe that has been handed down for generations. Each generation proving and guarding ingredients and methods to reach the desired results. Sun Tzu warns us to value firsthand experience above hearsay and ghosts, but gather the whole of the information and then prove its worth. This is the same logic we apply to the total aeration process for greens or other high-value turf. Our foreknowledge and research allow us to build a plan of action that is the result of our expanded search for truth about the situation presented to us. Before making an incorrect move, we test the action against proven foreknowledge to ensure success. It is also important to note that as your achievements surpass ordinary men, some people will stop clapping when you win or do something of note. Hold the course and take the high road trying to be aware, humble and stay prepared to justify your actions at all times. We are always being tested to see how well we have learned the lessons of our craft. The art of greenkeeping is a true blend of science and art. Because it requires a large number of people to share a vision or foreknowledge, it will always be a moving target that while difficult to hit, has many rewards for those who persevere and hit the target each day.

illustration: ArtSklad

Do not let the size of your current resources limit your aspirations

“Great results can be achieved through small forces.” — Sun Tzu

I saved this one for the last so it might resonate. It is often an advantage to prove your resourcefulness and skills with few resources in order to earn your way to bigger and better opportunities. Remember it is not where you start that matters when it comes to career. You must know where you are going to reach the ultimate success within the legacy of your career. Maximum effort, will and cleverness will be necessary to start at the bottom and end at the top of any endeavor. In Goju ryu Karate Do we have a saying, “everyone works, nothing is free and everyone starts at the bottom.” It also applies to turfgrass management. Dream big, work hard and never let the size of your budget limit your desire to achieve.

It has been a journey full of inspiration and simple answers to complex questions as we revealed some of Sun Tzu’s deepest wisdom as it relates to the art of growing turfgrass. The true depth of this wisdom is that everyone will take away a slightly different understanding of the text depending upon their level of experience or their need for understanding. I would encourage you reread the article after a few days, take a few side notes and pick one or two areas to put into your daily action plans. Do this for a few months and see if you notice the impact the strategies are having. Consider this exercise an investment in your future. May the tools you find help build the career that you have always wanted.

Anthony Williams, CGCS, is the director of golf course maintenance and landscaping at the Four Seasons Resort Club Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas. He’s a frequent GCI contributor.

Adding green to Save green

Features - Turf

Colorants and pigments provide the green golfers expect, but they can also reduce your bottom line as long as you know what you are doing and when you should do it.

Turf colorants and pigments are keeping customers happy by providing winter color on warm-season grasses and increasingly more cool-season grasses. Aesthetically, they hide blemishes, better define playing surface boundaries and darken the surface for warm-season green-up.

However, there are cost- and labor-saving benefits, as well, says Dr. Grady Miller, professor and extension turf specialist in the crop and soil sciences department at NC State University. For example, they reduce winter turf maintenance with warm-season grasses, which results in savings on water, fertilizer and mowing labor. In addition, they open a herbicide program for winter weed control in warm-season grasses and can be cost effective compared to overseeding, he says.

Colorants and pigments reduce a superintendent’s bottom line, especially when it comes to aesthetic turf practices. “There is data available that compares overseeding costs (seed, mowing, labor, fertilization, irrigation, etc.), and colorants are often much cheaper than overseeding,” says Dr. Casey Reynolds, executive director of Turfgrass Producers International and former Texas A&M assistant professor. “Each course is different, though, and superintendents just need to determine the tradeoffs between overseeding and colorants.”

Dyes and colorants can reduce light stress on turfgrass plants in the summer, while in winter the benefits include retention of green color on warm-season grasses and more rapid spring green-up for both warm- and cool-season grasses, says Dr. Ed Nangle, Ohio State University assistant professor of turfgrass management. “The combination with fungicidal activity is also of interest, as it seems there is a possible synergy between the pigments and reducing light degradation of some of the active ingredients, therefore adding efficacy to their use” he says. “Also, it is somewhat situational dependent and budget dependent.”

Add HDTV and 4D technology that shows a tournament course’s turf flaws to millions of viewers, and colorants become a way to meet high expectations, says Jennifer Seevers, territory manager for Geoponics. Colorants, and pigments are used instead of overseeding to reduce water, fertilization and other chemical needs. Colorants are also used in combination with overseeding. “It’s almost like insurance,” Seevers says. “The results are basically impeccable.”

“High-paying members have their expectations met and the colorants assist with transition and consistency in color,” she adds. “This is referred to as ‘hybrid-overseeding’ when combining colorant with overseeding. Very often it’s what we’re seeing in professional sports on TV when playing on live turfgrass.”

Application

Superintendents have been very creative in application techniques. Initially, it seemed most turf managers used spray wands to apply them to greens, NC State’s Dr. Grady Miller says. Then, people started using spray hawks or similar small walking booms. Later, as they started applying to fairways, traditional boom sprayers became more common.

Several superintendents have heavily modified their sprayers to get better coverage with one-pass rather than the more commonly used two-pass application. For greens, you can go with a lot of different types of application equipment.

Commercially available equipment can be employed in the application of colorants and pigments, as well as design-your-own sprayers, Miller says. For larger areas, a boom sprayer used to apply pesticides is most commonly used with the application – either stock or with some modification such as lowering boom, closer spaced nozzles and dual-spray nozzles.

Turf experts say there is no “should” with colorant and pigment use. “It’s about need and time of year along with what results are a superintendent looking for. If it’s to turn something green, urea is a good option also,” Nangle says. “However, if it’s to potentially enhance stress tolerance, then that’s a different matter and many superintendents are finding benefits with some of these products in this regard.”

The optimal use of winter colorant programs on Transition Zone warm-season turfgrass is when the turfgrass has experienced the first frost of the season and begins to go off color, BASF technical specialist Dr. Kathie Kalmowitz says.

“The best timing is to begin your application when the turfgrass still has green tissue so that the colorant can be applied to achieve or bring it back to the most natural color of green for that course,” Kalmowitz says. Repeat applications to continue this color can be planned based on weather conditions. “You to want to make the applications prior to the color fading totally because if you wait your program looks poorly executed,” she adds.

Colorants can be used in the fall in southern and Transition Zone environments as a replacement to winter overseeding, Reynolds says. This is particularly true of the longer-lasting colorants that provide more color for longer periods. These products typically contain a higher pigment concentration with some type of binder or resin to hold it on the leaf for longer periods of time. “Colorants that are more in-line with dyes can be used pretty much any time of year when superintendents are just looking to add a little more color, brightness or wow factor for special events,” Reynolds says.

In a transitional time, in October to November, if the grass is just a bit off color, Geoponics territory manager Brad Driggers recommends a lighter rate of paint or a pigment to carry it through to dormancy. “Then, when dormant, we use a rate of six or eight gallons of paint per acre,” he says. “March or April, we also might use a lighter rate to spruce it up. Then use pigments going into the spring.”

Real ROI

NC State’s Dr. Grady Miller cautions “the first-timer” that playing surfaces are not the same and the cost savings may not be as big as one thinks if you are putting product on warm-season grasses and you have a long dormancy period. “To me, the cost savings is there, but it’s not the primary reason to consider using them at least not in the Transition Zone,” he adds. “I think the ability to finally target problem weeds is one of the biggest tipping points to using them. I've even seen golf courses that use them on a rotation just for weed control reasons so they can put their labor and resources to other uses, and then the next year they may go back to overseeding. This can be especially useful at a large complex that has more than 18 holes.”

photo: Trent bouts

Drier, more arid days with low wind and full sun are “great” days to apply colorants, especially ones that are designed to last longer and need the binder/resin to adhere to the leaf. This doesn’t seem to work as well on cool, overcast or humid days, Reynolds says.

Superintendents can use colorants and pigments whenever they want to change the turf’s color, Miller says. “There are many different considerations on timing,” he adds. “Some folks like to keep color consistent, so they may use earlier and regularly, whereas others may want to apply after they have a marked color change to maximize their use.”

The reverse approach could be used on when to not use them. For example, are you willing to re-apply in fall if weather stays warm and continues to grow? Some may see this as a wasted application. You could take a different approach, applying the products when clientele recognizes and demands a certain type of playing surface. Note that using these products on dormant turfgrass does not provide a wearable surface like an actively growing ryegrass overseed. So, the amount of wear may influence using these products, Miller says.

Weather plays a factor in application and results, Geoponics territory manager Phil Martin says. “What we are looking for when applying is a light dew or frost on the ground,” he adds. “If it’s too much, it won’t adhere. It needs to be at least 40 degrees during the day of application. Normally apply in the morning, but if the hottest part of the day hits 40, you’re good. Colorant doesn’t really adhere or dry to the leaf blade if it’s frozen.”

Technology and the technical aspect of color application have been “absolutely pivotal” for Geoponics, Seevers says. “It’s the art. Working with people who are qualified, who know what to do and what not to do really has its plusses. Going rogue is a recipe for disaster. They have one chance to get this right. If a course sprays $20,000 worth of paint and doesn’t get it right, they blew it. That’s stuff that gets people fired.”

One life to live

Features - Equipment

DOA isn’t an option for the carts at your golf course. Here are some simple ways to get the most capacity and life from your golf car batteries.

Fleet managers hate hearing when one of their golf cars is dead on the fairway. Even though you’ve been consistent in charging the entire fleet every night, there’s always the occasional battery pack that shows it’s fully charged but never seems to last long.

Effectively predicting the runtime of a golf car’s battery pack starts with understanding the factors that affect its capacity. Manufacturers of deep-cycle lead-acid batteries usually list a battery’s capacity as runtime in minutes and amp-hour capacity. Both of these should give you a good estimate as to the amount of time in which a battery can deliver power under a specified load. While these ratings provide a good baseline for battery performance, there are other factors that can cause low runtimes that must be taken into account.

Time to Reach Full Capacity

It is important to know that new deep-cycle batteries do not perform to their rated runtimes immediately. New batteries often take anywhere from 25 to 125 cycles before reaching their full capacity. This is due to the active material on the battery plates not being fully converted until the battery has undergone multiple charge and discharge cycles. New batteries often perform at roughly 75 percent of their rated capacity, so expect performance to increase as the batteries are used.

Discharge Load

The discharge load of your car is also critical in determining the runtime of your batteries. Most golf cars have 48-volt motors that are supplied energy by 48-volt battery packs. In this configuration, the motor draws roughly 56 amps from the battery pack on average. For 36-volt cars, the motor draws roughly 75 amps on average. This is why most golf car batteries have 56A and 75A ratings listed on the label. When selecting a battery type for your fleet, pay attention to these ratings as they are the most relevant to golf car applications. When testing batteries, use the discharge load applicable to your system and compare the actual runtime to the ratings published on the battery.

Temperature

Don’t expect batteries to be operating at full capacity immediately. New batteries often perform at roughly 75 percent of their rated capacity.

Deep-cycle battery performance is also affected by temperature. For every 20 degrees below 80 degrees, the battery loses 10 to 12 percent of its available capacity. Warmer temperatures above 80 have the opposite effect and increase battery performance, but at the cost of shortening battery life. In addition to battery performance, temperature can affect the charging performance of your fleet. Low temperatures can cause undercharging while high temperatures can cause overcharge conditions.

Knowing these tips and combining them with regular maintenance can dramatically increase the overall life span of the batteries and save your course money in the end. For more information on battery maintenance, capacity, and runtime ratings, visit www.usbattery.com.

Fred Wehmeyer is senior vice president, engineering and Zachary Cox, is a product and process engineer at U.S. Battery Manufacturing

Chattahoochee charm

Features - Super Solutions Powered by Syngenta

Benchmarking, relationships and stewardship deliver the needs of the environment and golfers at The River Club.

With rolling Georgia hills and views of the Chattahoochee River, it’s easy to forget The River Club’s 18 holes traverse a bustling slice of southern suburbia.

The course opened in 2005 and quickly established itself as one of Atlanta’s most desirable private golf communities. Rob Roy has experienced the entire evolution. He started his job as superintendent in December 2002, making him the club’s longest-tenured – and first – employee.

Holding the same job for 15 years yields numerous connections with the land and the people who enjoy it. Roy knows nearly every member by name and understands how wacky weather swings affect the 90-acre golf course.

Superintendent Rob Roy arrived at The River Club in suburban Atlanta as its first employee in December 2002.

This year, for example, The River Club received 11 inches of rain in June and close to 10 inches in both July and August. “Besides our grow-in in 2003, it’s been one of the wettest summers since I have been here,” Roy says. Last year rested on the other side of the weather conundrum: the course received just .2 inches of precipitation during a 72-day stretch beginning in August.

Weather extremities are only part of the challenge facing Roy. The River Club is an upscale facility in Atlanta’s north suburbs, where wealth and private golf options abound. Convenient seclusion defines the club. The gates are 35 miles from downtown Atlanta, yet Roy says the club is “hidden in an area that you wouldn’t expect it to be.”

The front nine flows through hills; the back nine features river views. Quality land, though, isn’t the only requirement for selling homes and memberships in suburban Atlanta. Tremendous course conditions are a necessity.

Roy and his team maintain a course with divergent turfgrass varieties. Bentgrass greens are still prominent in Georgia, and Roy and his team devote significant time and resources to A-1/A-4 bentgrass putting surfaces. A crew boasting multiple employees whose tenures eclipse a decade, agronomic savvy, grit and industry connections make summers tolerable.

Greens are monitored hourly, with Roy using a spreadsheet tactic he calls “benchmarking” to understand and adapt his agronomic program. “We track every hour we spend on the golf course,” Roy says. “So, at the end of the year, we can tell how many hours we bent checked, how many hours we mowed greens, how many hours we topdressed and we can make adjustments for the next year.”

To further help his team combat the short-term angst of southern bentgrass maintenance, Roy demonstrates long-term thinking. “Our main objective every day is to make the place better than it was the day before,” he says. “We just keep our heads down and continue to do what we need to do. But I always I try to find a long-term solution for whatever obstacles we are facing and fix those issues. It’s about making the job easier for the guys, whether it be finding a different mower for a different area or hose reels for bent checking. Whatever it is, try to make the job more enjoyable.”

Relationships are another critical component of The River Club’s agronomic success. Part of meticulous turfgrass management means seeking help when something seems amiss – and the threat of Pythium always exists in Georgia. Moisture meters, fans and venting are staples of Roy’s greens program, but he also understands the value of outside input.

The River Club received Certified Audubon Sanctuary status in 2006, becoming the 12th Georgia course to earn the designation.

High on his list of contacts is Syngenta territory representative Jason Whitecliffe, who has covered the Atlanta area for 13 years. Whitecliffe works with superintendents who maintain Bermudagrass and bentgrass greens – he says the split is 60-40 in favor of Bermudagrass in the Atlanta area – and he’s forthcoming when assessing the agronomic challenges in the area.

“We’re in the Transition Zone,” Whitecliffe says. “Warm-season struggles, cool-season struggles. There’s no perfect fit for the area. There are years when it’s hot and dry, and years when it’s cool and wet.”

In addition to bentgrass greens, The River Club has Tifsport Bermudagrass fairways. Fairy ring, according to Roy, can emerge on both surfaces. Evidence of the trust between Roy and Whitleciffe exists in The River Club’s fungicide rotation.

Roy recently added Velista, a broad-spectrum SDHI, to his rotation to provide fairy ring and spring dead spot control on greens and fairways. Velista was launched in 2015. “Having another tool like Velista has really helped us out,” he says. “We saw a lot of positive results from our application that we made last fall and then the applications that we made this year. We are pretty excited about it.”

In the summer, Briskway, a broad-spectrum cooling DMI (Demethylation Inhibitors), is added to the rotation. Daconil Action and Heritage Action are also part of the summer program. Both fungicides include multiple active ingredients. “With the summer stress, we try to boost that plant health up,” Roy says.

Agronomic savvy, grit and quality relationships help The River Club flourish despite a challenging growing environment.

The combination of proven formulations and a strong relationship with Whitecliffe soothe Roy during perilous periods. The pair’s relationship spans a decade.

“It’s just like having employees you trust,” he says. “You know that you can tell a guy to go out there and perform a certain task, and you don’t have to follow-up behind him and do it two or three times. You just have that trust level on these products. You know that you feel good about them and you have used them for years, and if you have a question, you know who you can call. It makes you sleep better at night. It makes your job much easier. It gives you confidence going into summer that you know you have those products that you can rely on and trust. You see those results firsthand and you know that they work.”

The River Club’s conditions impress Whitecliffe, who calls the private club market “extremely competitive” in Atlanta’s north suburbs. “I am proud to support so many courses that are among the highest maintained golf courses in the country,” Whitecliffe adds. “There are a lot of top, elite clubs.”

The River Club opened at a tricky time for private clubs with a housing element – three years before the start of the recession – yet has thrived. Roy, who grew up in Kernersville, N.C., a small town between Winston-Salem and Greensboro, worked at a trio of respected facilities in the Carolinas, Sedgefield Country Club, The Peninsula Club and Oldfield Club, before arriving in Georgia. Roy, a NC State graduate, obtained grow-in experience at Oldfield. A four-time Carolinas GCSA golf champion, he also sees the course from a golfer’s perspective.

“He’s a high, high level golfer, and I think that brings something to the table,” Whitecliffe says. “He knows what to expect from a championship level golf course and he tries to deliver that every day to his members. As the course matures, it’s hard to maintain those levels. Just like there are challenges when we age, there are challenges with a golf course. Knowing the history of the property is certainly a big leg up as opposed to coming in cold and not knowing anything about it.”

In the spirit of continual improvement, Roy is eyeing ways to make the course play firmer and faster, thus increasing golfer enjoyment and easing the maintenance burden. Building upon The River Club’s strong environmental pedigree represents another goal. The course received Certified Audubon Sanctuary status in 2006, becoming the 12th Georgia course to earn the designation. The club’s Chattahoochee River Trail runs along parts of the back nine, giving members an opportunity to study a variety of wildlife, including woodpeckers and blue herons.

“I think all of us in this business want to show that we are good stewards of the land, we are educated and we’re using resources to the best of our abilities and that we care about the environment, what’s around us and what’s down the stream from us,” Roy says. “Whenever we sit down and make a plan, we are thinking about all of those aspects. We’re trying to find the best solution that not only fits our needs, but the environment’s needs and the golfers’ needs. I think there are so many better solutions out there nowadays than 10, 15, 20, 30 years ago.”

Operation Pollinator

Participating in Syngenta’s Operation Pollinator has further helped The River Club superintendent Rob Roy boost golfer enjoyment while enhancing the environment. The program provides golf course managers with information to establish and manage attractive habitats for bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

The River Club established plots near the eighth and 13th tee boxes, and Roy says members “love” the aesthetics of the areas. An overlooked aspect of the program, according to Roy, is how it affects staff morale. “The crew likes to see something that they built turned into something beautiful,” he says. Roy has already identified additional areas he wants to turn into pollinator plots and he hopes to find time this winter to prepare the areas for future seeding.

Syngenta offers multiple resources for superintendents interested in Operation Pollinator, including assistance from territory managers. Roy worked with his territory manager, Jason Whitecliffe, when establishing The River Club’s pollinator plots.

“I am happy to see so many superintendents and their customers really embrace the program,” Whitecliffe says. “It’s just really cool. Superintendents are obviously great at growing things, so it’s an easy program for them to prepare an area, seed it and give it what it needs.”

Summer can be tough on golf courses. Heat, pests, drought, excessive foot traffic—all these things can stress turf and negatively impact its health and appearance. Now that cooler fall weather has arrived, it’s the right time to get your golf course back in shape for next spring, and that includes applying the right fertilizer at the right time. However, with so many fertilizers on the market today, it can be tough to know which option is best for your course.

“Today, the emphasis is more toward the gradual release of nutrients for golf course turf throughout the year, with some northern golf course superintendents experimenting with fall fertilization as their primary fertilizer application,” says Chris Derrick, technical agronomist with Koch Turf & Ornamental. “Controlled-release fertilizers are a great choice for fall application, as they can often provide nutrition into the spring season.”

Koch Turf & Ornamental produces controlled-release products that optimize nutrient performance and minimize nitrogen loss, basically taking the guesswork out of fall fertilization. These fertilizers support consistent plant growth with fewer applications. Because more nitrogen is available for plant uptake, golf courses can expect optimum results from each fertilizer application.

“In the fall, plants need to prepare for dormancy and get ready for the next year,” says Derrick, who holds a Masters of Science in Agronomy from Auburn University. “Turf plants have to gradually shut down to make sure they store adequate amounts of nutrients – in the form of carbohydrates – through the winter. It takes time to shut down in fall and get active again in spring.”

Regardless of location, turfgrasses go through transitions throughout the year. While the growing season takes the most attention, plants need to shift from shoot growth to root growth in the fall.

Three Types of EEF Products

Controlled-Release – Controlled-release, coated nutrient sources include the products known as polymer-coated fertilizers (PCFs). The manufacturing process involves coating a readily available nutrient such as urea or sulfate of potash with a polymer coating. Examples include POLYON and DURATION CR controlled-release fertilizer.

Slow-Release – Also called “slowly available,” these products are a part of many turfgrass fertilization programs. They provide greater longevity of available nitrogen (N) than quick-release sources, and are safer to use on turfgrass because of their lower burn potential. This group includes both coated products, like XCU slow-release fertilizer, and reacted products like NITROFORM and NUTRALENE slow-release fertilizer. Natural degradation by moisture or microbial activity releases them over time.

Stabilized Nitrogen sources – Stabilized nitrogen fertilizers work by delaying the conversion of nitrogen to forms that can be more readily lost to the environment through leaching, denitrification and volatilization. This delay allows time for rainfall or precipitation to move urea into the soil where it is less prone to volatilization, and retains N in the plant system longer. Examples of these products include UMAXX and UFLEXX stabilized nitrogen.

“The important thing is to choose the right product to give an adequate response in the fall before plants go dormant, but still get some carryover in the spring,” says Derrick. “A fall EEF application not only gradually puts the turf plant to sleep but provides some additional nutrients for when it wakes up in the spring. That’s the best scenario for both turfgrass and superintendent!”

Dialing Back Nitrogen Supply

“I remember when the push was toward fall root establishment, which meant fall potassium levels were higher than nitrogen levels, generally,” says Derrick, who worked as an assistant superintendent in Birmingham, Ala., for six years. “But new research shows it’s best not to cut off the nitrogen supply to the plant. It’s better to gradually dial it down and let the plant take what it needs.”

Because spring weather has been more unpredictable than fall weather in recent years, many superintendents have moved to a fall-focused fertility program.

“It’s often difficult to control release of a spring-applied fertilizer treatment,” Derrick says. “So, superintendents are putting out larger applications in fall with products that can carryover and still be available in springtime. The application lasts long enough to get the plant growing and green before it runs its course. And it often gets them through until summer months, when they don’t typically apply fertility treatments.”

Three factors affect fall turfgrass nutrition:

Timing

Derrick doesn’t recommend putting out fall nutrition in the late summer transition period when plants are still growing. “It’s not the availability of nutrients that makes the plant grow, it’s the day-length photo period and temperature,” he says. “At that time of year, turf plants aren’t actively growing at the shoot level.”

For most parts of the country, September is the best time for a fall fertility application. Conditions and weather patterns may allow a second application in late October or early November. How many fall applications are needed depends on what the superintendent has in the bag. “When using water-soluble sources, such as urea and ammonium nitrate, I’d recommend a split application,” Derrick says. “Putting out such readily available nutrients all at once could promote too much growth and not let the plant go into dormancy.”

However, if superintendents use controlled or slow-release products, they could get by with just one application. “These products work in unison with plant demands. As plants gradually reduce nutrient needs, less fertility is released,” Derrick adds.

Weather

The unpredictability of weather makes it even more important to choose a controlled or slow-release fertilizer for fall applications. “What happens if you use a conventional source containing all readily available nitrogen, and then you get a warm spell?” Derrick says. “The plant ‘wakes up’ and reaches the nutrients in the soil. It starts growing at a time you don’t want it to grow.”

Technology

What’s in the bag is perhaps the most important aspect of fall fertilization. The Association of American Plant Food Control Officials coined the term Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer (EEF) in 2009. It refers to fertilizer products with characteristics that allow increased plant uptake and reduce the potential of nutrient losses to the environment.

Although the EEF term is relatively new, products that fit this classification have been around for more than a half-century, including methylene urea, sulfur-coated urea and polymer-coated urea products. Fewer applications, less labor and flexible programs are among some of the advantages.

“I define an EEF product as anything that provides extension and availability of fertilizer versus a 100 percent water-soluble source,” Derrick says. “Some EEF products release based on temperature, while others release based on moisture availability.